Change Me
by FoxyGeek
Summary: Sylar attempts to re-invent himself. After saving the cheerleader from Danko, can he and Claire learn to get along? Sylaire.
1. Intro: Good Morning

**I do not Own Sylar or any other Heroes characters/plots/etc..**

**Authors Notes: Hopefully this one takes off. :) I'm not the best at this whole writing thing.. I've only ever written one other story, and even that was never finished. I'm horrible with computers... etc.. so bare with me. xD I'll try my best.**

**This _will_ end up Sylaire. The first chapter is my intro, and hopefully, (if all goes well), The next episode won't completely contradict this story. xD k. (wish me luck) ... here it goes.**

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6:15 AM

............

A tall, dark haired, man, dressed mostly in black, exits room number 4 at Super Sam's Midnight Motel.

He is shortly followed by a groggy looking kid in his late teens.

Neither of them appear to be morning people.

...........

Scowls firmly plastered on their faces, they seem perfectly content in each other's silence.

.........

The taller of the two gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine. He rubs his eyes attempting to gain focus on what's ahead.

The sun isn't up quite yet, but it's peeking out beneath the night's heavy blankets, giving just enough light to take in the surroundings.

........

Sylar waited patiently in the car as Luke dropped off their keys.

His head and heart, heavy in thought.

.......

He met his father the night before. The sight of the old man, had repulsed him.

He was wretched, he hadn't bathed in months, he was selfish......with the firm belief that he was better than everyone else. And… above all else, he was alone.

What little he had in life, he stole from others. What little he stole, no one was left to appreciate.

.......

Sylar couldn't help but make the connections. He was heading down the same path.

That would be him one day. That was the path he was following.

He knew he needed to change…

but how?

...........

What was he willing to sacrifice?

Was it too late? Was he going to live out the rest of eternity in solitude?

Who could ever love him? Who Could _he_ ever love?

Was he _capable_ of love?

.........

He blinked out of his reverie. It was getting brighter. The sun was painting the sky a Rusty Orange.

Luke placed his complimentary motel coffee on the roof of the car, opening the door to hand Sylar a cup of his own.

.........

Cream, no sugar. A little on the dark side . Just as he liked it.

The kid's cup, (undoubtedly filled with at least 4 packets of sweetener), was already half empty.

.......

T-Rex's _Cosmic Dancer _was playing on the radio at a low volume.

Sylar put the car in reverse.

He wasn't sure where they were headed, but he knew he needed to keep going.

..........

He needed to get off the path.

………………………………


	2. A Reason To Go

**(I do not own heroes or any of its marvelous characters. (because, if I did, it'd turn into a big smutty sylaire mess))**

**Authors Notes: Well, i just watched the latest episode. (AWESOME!)----zomg!**

**And I edited the first chapter.. Just a tad.. to fit with the show a bit more.I hope you like it..**

**When I daydream about these characters they always seem soo much smoother than I write them xD Anyway, enjoy (or not) whichever & thanks for the fabulous reviews !!!!**

**They were really encouraging, and I soooo appreciate them. :D**

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4:05pm

...............

Sylar re-read the text message on his phone for a third time. He stared at it in mild confusion, eying it suspiciously.

'_Who the hell is this __**rebel**__….and how'd he get my number?'._

...........

He chanced a Glance at the rear-view mirror. No one was following them.

He'd been on the road for several hours and Luke had fallen asleep in the backseat.

He resisted the urge to throw an empty Styrofoam cup at him.

......................

He was useless really. It was a miracle that the kid lasted this long. Sylar liked to think that keeping the kid around would help him regain some of his self control. If he could manage not to kill Luke in the next few months, then he'd have a chance. A chance to redeem himself… to change.

Sighing deeply, he drew his attention back to his cell phone. His eyes darted back and forth between the text and the road. A nervous pulse ran through his body.

...........

"Claire Bennet needs you.

Find her at the following address, tonight around 11pm - Rebel"

..................

'_Claire Bennet needs you.' _the thought lingered. Normally, he wouldn't care. '_Let the girl fend for herself.. Seriously'._

But, for reason's he didn't quite understand, _that_ made him feel uncomfortable. The idea of Claire Bennet not being able to fend for herself made him feel, _very_ uncomfortable. She was immortal, yes, but there were other ways to hurt a woman. She had no super powered strength to defend herself with, no super speed, nothing. And though they didn't quite get along, he wasn't about to let anything happen to her that she could never recover from.

Even _he_ had standards.

Sylar was weary about trusting anyone who hid under an alias. Especially one as cheesy as "the Rebel", but figured that he had nothing to lose.

.................

He couldn't die; Claire had given him immortality. And he wasn't one to blindly stumble into other people's traps.

He was fairly capable of fending for himself. Besides, something in his gut told him this wasn't a trap, that she genuinely needed his help.

He furrowed his brow, '_11pm?_ _Could we make it by then_?'

.................

Out of nowhere Sylar spun a quick U-turn on the empty desert highway, breaking into a complete stop facing the opposite direction.

Luke was Jolted back into reality as he went flying off the seat.

"Jeeeezus Christ almighty……Was that really necessary?!" Luke glared at his travel companion, and waited for a reply.

"You're going to drive" Sylar's voice was final in it's tone.

He exited the car, pulling Luke from his current position and shoved him into the drivers seat.

"We're heading back to California, the address is on my cell." he nodded towards his phone on the front seat.

Luke attempted to say something but was cut off by Sylar Tk'ing his mouth shut.

"Just drive." he was in no mood to debate the issue.

Luke was pissed, but wasn't about to argue with the man. The man was after-all, easily driven to murder, and he wasn't planning on being his next victim any time soon. Grabbing Sylar's cell phone, he read the message that was left on the screen for him. _'Claire Bennet needs you. Find her at the following address, tonight around 11pm - Rebel'. _He wondered who this _Bennet_ was, and if she was really worth the long hours of driving for them both. _'She better be hot' _was all he could think, as he shifted the car back into gear and took off, a cloud of dust behind them and nothing but open road ahead.

Sylar meanwhile was neatly positioning himself in the back seat trying to squeeze his tall body into a comfortable enough angle for sleep. He was going to need rest for tonight. Of that, at least, he was sure.

He didn't exactly foresee them stopping at a Comfort Inn any time soon, so he closed his eyes and slowly began drifting off…

.................

It was a culmination of so many things: ….her fear, ….her anger, ….her breath, ……her sweat, … He couldn't describe it, but it was intoxicating, …….her scent.

He dreamt about what it'd be like to smell her skin up close, to taste it. To be _that_ intimate again. Like they were when he stole her power. Her breath had tickled his brow as he hovered over her. The perfume she was wearing was inviting, and sensual. The whole experience was rather arousing. It took every ounce of self control he had, not to kiss her. Had Sylar not been a gentlemen, the situation could have gone in an entirely different direction.

She was so beautiful...

her skin was so soft…

....and absolutely flawless.

She was entirely out his league, Something Sylar hated admitting to himself.

But it was something Sylar couldn't help but realize. He would never be able to hold Claire so intimatly again.

This was just a dream....

She would never allow him to touch her in that way.....

and that's when he woke up.

.....................


	3. Unfortunate Circumstance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes, or it's characters..etc.. **

**Authors notes: Thank you for reading. I want to issue a warning about this next chapter. **

** This chapter will contain some _Serious_ Adult Themes, and yes.. its pretty dark stuff. (rape, violence, adult language, etc.) _You've been warned_. **

**This is my longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoy it.  
**

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**PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THOSE THEMES and/or You are under 18 years of age. (is that the age requirement??? ::shrugs::)  
**

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**Anyway, thank you 3 **

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10:56pm

...............................

Claire woke up in a daze. Her captor, "Danko", stood towering over her..

She was lying on the floor, her hands cuffed in front of her. The haze of heavy sedatives and muscle relaxers clouded her vision. And though her legs were free, they were useless.

It was 10:56pm according to the digital clock on the wall above the door.

She was in what appeared to be an old interrogation room. It was gray, in color, and there was a one way mirror located to her right.

.

"Are you Awake yet?" He placed his hands on his hips as he glared down at her. "You know, ... _everyone's_ been looking out for you."

_"Everyone's_ been going out of their way to keep _you _from being locked up… to keep _you_ from getting … hurt."

A look of disgust spread across his face as he uttered the last word.

.

Several seconds passed in silence, before he Kicked her side.. Cracking several ribs..

"But _you, _you _can't_ get hurt Claire!!" he smiled as he did it again.

Bones were cracking and repairing themselves simultaneously.

"Well, not physically, anyway."

.

He squatted over her drugged body and rolled her over to face him. His eyes piercing hers, they frightened her. Much to his delight.

They were like the eyes of a rabid dog. Vicious, Self righteous, Hungry.

.

"You were hiding one of them weren't you?" He cupped her chin and squeezed her cheeks aggressively.

"Despite what your father's have gone through to keep you safe, _**You! You! **_let one of THOSE FILTHY FREAKS sleep in your closet?!" he twitched slightly " is _that_ how you repay their trust??", he dropped his hand.

"**_And_** as if that wasn't enough, you let DOYLE get away. **DOYLE**!!" he screamed directly into her ear.

"........."

"Tisk Tisk Claire… . I always knew you weren't worth protecting."

.

He stood back up, still in a position of dominance, hovering over the half conscious blonde.

"Where is he Claire?"

"......."

He loosened his belt buckle.

"what… what are you…. What … " Claire tried to focus her eyes on something anything to keep the room from spinning. The belt he was fiddling with seemed to draw her attention. " What are you…? "

"Answer me Claire…." He interrupted.

He pulled the belt from his pants and tossed it on the floor behind him.

Her eyes followed the belt as it dropped.

"Where's ….Alex?"

.

She honestly couldn't tell him, not that she would have even if she knew.

But the boy's whereabouts were currently unknown to her. He had left nights ago, without any intention of coming back.

.

"I… Don't.. " she feebly attempted to roll back on her belly..

The hunter bent back down and turned her towards him roughly.

"LIES!" he grabbed her cuffed wrists shaking them aggressively

"No… what…?.. No… no..I don't….I don't know."

.

A sigh escaped his lips.

.

"Claire… you're not making this any better for yourself." He let go of the blonde's trembling hands.

"Your father cost me my job, Claire. Did you know that? Hmm? - again he twitched.

I told you that I can't _hurt_ you … don't make me go to extremes to get the information out of you." a perverse grin plastered itself on the old man's face.

.

Something told Claire that he wasn't interested in finding actual answers, that he was looking forward to punishing her for her "supposed_"_ crimes.

"......" a tear rolled down Claire's cheek.

She began struggling against her handcuffs weakly. Every movement took exorbitant amounts of energy. The drugs were truly debilitating.

"I… I don't know. please, I don't ..."

She began crying as the realization of her fate dawned on her.

"Dad!…" … "Someone"…she yelled out in vain.

She knew they were alone.

That this was not the typical procedure for bringing in people like her.

That this was personal.

The Hunter wanted this for himself; he wanted _revenge_.

...........................................................................................................................................

Sylar broke into the building quite easily. Locks were no match for someone like him.

He left Luke to wait in the car.

The poor kid had driven the majority of the way there, and was gaining a couple hours of much needed rest in the backseat.

The building appeared to be an abandoned police station, simply waiting to be demolished.

.

Something told him this was not going to be pretty.

There was no furniture, there were no books, the place looked empty. But Sylar knew that looks could be deceiving.

He crept along the hallway, his heart racing.

A panther stalking it's prey.

Sweat was forming on his brow.

The anticipation of a fight always got him excited.

.

Towards the back of the hallway, there were two doors. He could hear noises from inside one of them.

He entered the first cautiously. It was a dark room, except for a dim light coming from the window to his right.

The other side of a two way mirror.

.

That's when he saw them.

................................................................................

11:00pm

"There's no-one here Claire. So stop yelling." he pulled down her pajama pants exposing her pink cotton underwear.  
Sobbing she attempted to cover them with her hands, and once again tried rolling onto her belly..**  
**  
"where is he?" he said calmly. Shoving her back onto her back.

Tears and broken words poured out of her.

She wiggled and squirmed beneath him, which only served to excite him more.

.

He licked his own lips in expectancy.

"It looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson doesn't it Claire."

"You can't go through life feeling like nothing's ever going to hurt you."

"Bad girls get what's coming to them Claire."

"And you… You've been a very, very bad girl."

.

With that , he ripped her tank top in half with the aide of a small Swiss army knife he had hidden in his pocket.

Her chest was heaving and her breathing became irregular. Panic set in.

"no..I.." she couldn't even finish her thought.

After a few short seconds he began wiggling his fast and sloppy tongue all over her bare chest. His hands groped for her panties and pulled them down viciously.

.

She was incapable of kicking him hard enough to get him off of her. Her body was simply too weak to defend itself. Her mind was unfocused and disoriented.

She was aware enough to know that he was raping her,

..but unaware of the details, how it was happening, etc.

.

He pulled his pants down to his knees and opened the fly to his light blue boxers, spreading her legs apart and pressing his member into her.

She tried crawling away but he held her in place as he began to rape her.

.....................................................................

Forcing the door open with his telekinetic powers, Sylar ran into the other room.

With the flick of his wrist Sylar sent "the hunter" flying backwards...... and **slammed** him against the opposing wall

...immobilizing him.

.

Sylar said nothing,... but he took the small army knife from the floor and used it to slice into the other man's balls.

He held him pressed against the wall, muffling his screams via forcing his mouth to stay closed.

.

His eyes were fixated on him. He wanted to watch the pain as it contorted the other man's face.

He wanted to hurt him in ways never before imagined.

He wanted to kill the fucker for what he did.

.

Claire was special.

Immortal.

No Human would ever be worthy of her.

He could hear Claire moving on the floor behind him.. .

_'Why wasn't she running_? _What did he do to her_?

_Drugs?_ _Must be drugs_.'

His mind was racing, jumping from thought to thought.

His breath was irregular.

He was livid.

.

The rest ,was rather brutal.

As he literally beat Claire's attacker to death with his bare hands.

It was strangely satisfying.

Listening to the bones in his face break on the concrete floor beneath them.

It was Primal and aggressive. It was ugly. Something he'd never have done under normal circumstances.

But this was no ordinary circumstance.

This was personal.

...............................................................................

.

She couldn't tell what was happening.. But.. She knew she had been saved.

She tried in vain to get up off of the floor, only succeeding in turning herself onto her side.

Her underwear were wrapped around her left ankle. Her clothes were unwearable.

.

She was afraid to look at who had found her.

She was ashamed and embarrassed.

Though she had made out with boys her age, she had never experienced sex before.

This was her first time.

And at that thought, she cried even harder.

.

Her eyes were blurry as she tried to make out the face of the man who was approaching her.

A bloody mess splayed out on the wall behind him.

.

.....hearbeat......

.

....heartbeat......

.

Her eyes widened in terror.

.

"Sylar". she whispered his name.

Her own personal boogie man.

"don't …don't touch me" - she managed to blurt out.

.

He raised her body up, off the floor, using his telekinesis.

His eyes penetrated hers as he attempted to regain his own composure.

His fists were covered in blood; he wiped them clean on an old ruined pair of Pajama bottoms.

His chest was heaving, rage had consumed him moments before.

.

She stared back defiantly. Her lips trembling. He looked like a monster, approaching her slowly.

He was wearing head to toe black. A Raven in her nightmare.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as he stood directly before her.

He stood over 6ft tall to her measly 5ft.1inches.

.

She lowered her eyes to the floor. Embarrassed about her nakedness, tears spilling out of both of them.

He pulled his black cashmere sweater over his head, leaving a black v-neck t-shirt in it's place.

Claire tried hard not to let him see how scared she was.

The chains on her handcuffs broke free as he forced her hands over her head.

.

Claire took several deep panic stricken breaths before closing her eyes.

Sylar couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

He wanted her to know that he would never do something like this. He would never sink so low.

That she didn't deserve it.

.

Sylar pulled his sweater over her exposed body. His eyes never leaving her face.

Then, squatting before her, he gently grabbed her right foot and placed it through the open hole in her panties.

.

"Pink huh?" - he half heartedly attempted to lighten the mood.

Though the air in the room was thicker than cement.

A tear rolled down Claire's cheek.

.

He took a deep breath when he noticed, and pulled the underwear up her legs and around her hips silently.

He decided to let his hold on her go, to see just how badly the drugs were affecting her..

She immediately fell forward onto his chest, fainting.

...................................................

Sylar picked her up into his arms carrying her out to the car.

She felt so fragile.

It never ceased to amaze him that the world's most indestructible body, was that of Claire Bennet's.

A china doll with the ability to rebuild itself.

.

Luke was, by this time, wide awake, and seemed utterly confused.

"who the hell is..?" he motioned towards the girl Sylar was buckling into the front seat.

"Is that Bennet? Why is she wearing your sweater? What the hell did.."

.

Sylar put a mute finger to his lips. "shhh."

"Shut up and Let her sleep," he whispered.

The look on Sylar's face warned him that he was in no mood to mess around.

.

He gently closed the door to the passenger side after buckling her in, and went over to his own.

Luke couldn't help but notice how pretty the girl was. His eyes wandered down to her exposed legs.

Getting into the car, Sylar couldn't help but notice the boy ogling Claire's thigh.

.

His blood boiled.

.

"keep your eyes to yourself, … " he put the car in reverse.

"I'll explain everything later..."he mumbled

"But first, we could all use some sleep."


	4. What now?

**Disclaimer: **

**I do not Own Heroes, I'm just borrowing some of the characters. 3  
**

**Author's Notes: **

**Well it's been a long week for me. I've been super busy with work and study. **

**I wanted to write more.. but couldn't get around to it till today. Tonight I plan on lounging about and writing another chapter.**

**and can I say THANKS! one more time.?! seriously! The comments I've been getting, have rocked serious balls. **

**It means a lot to me. xD Thank you.  
**

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After about 2 hours and 45 minutes of driving, Sylar stumbled across the West Woodland Motel.

Not exactly the accommodations Claire would be used to, he was sure, but he and Luke _had_ slept in worse.

.

As he pulled in, he realized that _his_ was 1 of only 3 cars parked in the entire parking lot.

One of them, he assumed, had to belong to whoever was working there, and the other probably belonged to the motel's only other guest. No doubt some drunkard, too inebriated to make it home to his nagging wife.

.

He woke Luke silently, shaking his left shoulder, and told him to keep an eye on the girl while he went and made arrangements for their stay.

Luke groaned audibly, and looked like he wanted to kill Claire for causing this night of consistently interrupted sleep, but he agreed to watch over her while he went in, and fought the temptation to fall asleep again.

.............

The woman behind the counter was a soft spoken, plump woman, with beautiful curly brown hair, and a heart of gold.

Her name was Amber, and she was reading one of those steamy romance novels with a picture of a half naked man on the cover.

_Lorenzo_ was just about to take Jessica's_, _much-sought-after, virginity, …when Sylar walked through the front door.

.

He looked like, absolute, sex on a stick.

.

Just as fate would have it, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye started playing on the radio station she was listening to. One of those jokes, life seems to play on you when you least expect it.

Her cheeks went bright red, like two tomatoes about to explode.

She stumbled while trying to turn down the volume on her radio, cursing softly under her breath.

.

"Good Evening sir, and welcome to The West Woodland" she tried hard not to stare at his extremely handsome face, while reciting her well rehearsed spiel.

"What can I get for y'all this evenin' ?" She pulled out her guest log and pretended to look for possible vacancies.

.

Sylar couldn't help but notice the way she had glanced at him, and was honestly quite flattered.

He cast her a charming smile, and handed her a roll of 20's.

Her smile stretched and she almost let out a small giggle.

.

"Since there's 3 of us in total, could I perhaps get a room with 2 beds?" he leaned over the counter casually and grabbed a free candy from her dish.

As he unwrapped the candy, he gave Amber another big, charming smile.

"Oh, sure thing." she blushed a deep purple.

"Name sir?"

"Gray, Mr. Gray. But you can call me _Sylar,_ if you like" It was almost creepy how his lips oozed false charm so easily.

And sure enough, Amber ate it up. Every last drop, like honey from a beehive.

She bit her lower lip.

"I'd like to keep the room for 2 nights if that's alright … …Miss?…_Amber_?" he read from the name-tag attached to her voluptuous bosom.

Still leaning over the counter, he winked at her. The devil.

She couldn't help but giggle now, and quickly handed him both his new keys and his change.

"That's room number 6 Mister Gray." And, Y'all have a good night." She gave him one last glance as he headed back out the door, waving goodbye as he exited.

His mouth full of candy and his smile as wicked as the devil himself.

.

'_was that real'? _she couldn't help but think as she eyed her romance novel suspiciously.

A huge grin plastered on her face.

...................................

Sylar went straight to the car. His face, once again serious and without visible emotion.

It was like, the false charm he was oozing vanished, the second he stepped out the door.

.

He opened the passenger side door and unbuckled the sleeping Bennet, lifting her into his arms once again.

Luke begrudgingly got up out of the back seat and followed lazily behind. His eyes, heavy and dry.

.

As they made it up the stairs and into their new room, Sylar placed Claire onto the first bed.

"You can have the other one." he nodded over towards the other bed.

.

Luke was extremely grateful, but baffled at his companion's sudden generosity.

He had assumed that he'd be on the floor tonight, or sleeping in the bathtub, now that _she_ was with them.

He was glad to be mistaken however, and flopped down, exhausted, on the other bed.

'_Finally….Sleep.' _his entire body shut down within minutes.

.

Sylar on the other hand, had been trapped inside his thoughts for the last several hours.

His mind was racing, sleep was impossible.

He pulled a tacky, green, re-upholstered chair out of a corner and leaned it up against the door.

He stretched his legs out, propping them on the end of Claire's bed.

His eyes tried to focus in on anything but the girl.

.

'_Had I been __**5**__**minutes**__ earlier…..no …10... ' _his fingers drummed impatiently on the arm of the chair.

'_How could all of this have happened?'_

His eyebrows knit together in thought.

.

Several minutes had passed in silence.

.

Eventually his eyes rested on Claire's shivering face.

He mentally chided himself for not thinking to cover the poor girl.

.

His black sweater fit her loosely. Her hands made little fists inside the long sleeves of the cashmere.

She was admittedly adorable, even Sylar had to admit.

.

Slowly, he grabbed a spare blanket from the linen closet and draped it over her body, making sure not to disturb her while she slept.

.

Silently Sylar stood there, at the side of her bed staring.

'_I'm not cut out for this.' _he ran his left hand through his hair.

_'I can't take care of her'_

_.  
_

_'I've never even owned a pet goldfish.' _He quickly returned to his chair, attempting once more to relax.

'_what the hell am I supposed to do now'? _he let out a sigh

.

.

(beep-beep-dingle-ding)

--incoming text--

..................................

"She still needs you…

And _you_ need her.

Don't give up"

- rebel

................................

.

.

.

Reply click

..............

"What do you mean?"

.............

---send--- click

.

.

.

(beep-beep-dingle-ding)

---incoming text---

................................

"she's your ticket,

**off** your father's path"

- Rebel

..............................

.

.

.

Sylar pondered the truth within that last text.

Claire _really was_ his only hope.

If his life was going to have meaning, he'd need to share it with someone.

True, Claire was many things that Sylar abhorred, and naturally he assumed the feeling was mutual,

but one thing he always respected in her, was her honesty.

And Sylar had a feeling that Claire felt much the same about him.

.

She hated being lied to.

She hated that everyone around her assumed, that she'd be better off 'left in the dark'.

They treated her like a child.

And Claire HATED that.

With Sylar, though the answers he gave often upset her, she could at least count on them being true, if not a little warped by his twisted personal views.

.

Perhaps this _was_ the best place for Claire right now.

At home, she'd be coddled, and told that everything was going to be fine.

They'd keep her even more sheltered than before.

Taking away what little freedom the girl had left.

And in the end, it would heal nothing.

.

As for Sylar, the fear of spending eternity in solitude was overwhelming.

He needed a companion. Someone to share his life with.

He needed purpose.

But all of that was easier said than done.

Old habits die hard, and making new friends wasn't exactly high up on his_ to-do_ list.


	5. Wake up

**Disclaimer: I do not own heroes or any of its characters. All I own, is my imagination, and my fantasies. xD  
**

**Authors notes: This chapter is sorta small. .. and was written around 2-3 am. so forgive me. If it stinks tomorrow.. I'll edit it.  
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**Thanks to: Anyone who's read this so far.. xD!**

** It's cool having other people actually spend time, reading your story. Thankyou!  
**

**To: Hulachowdown , Thanks! and... I'm definitely heading towards more sylaire. However I won't be rushing into a sex scene. I like taking things slow, so expect that. ;) **

**To: Bluewhitney, Yes, I like him too! (luke).. he definitely enhanced my vision of Sylar. I almost feel like Slyar, kept him around..._partly,_ because he was lonely. (and of course for the information he was holding on his father.) It gave us another look at the "Gabriel", within Sylar.  
**

**To: Smithbabe65, You're 100%, exactly, right on the mark. Sylar _knows_ what he has to do,....he just doesn't _want_ to. Changing, would mean admitting fault. It would mean giving up on certain ideals. And he's not exactly capable of doing that quite yet. But his concern for Claire, is sort of pulling him into a different role. It's forcing him to put someone else's needs before his own. (to an extent.)  
**

**Anyway, please enjoy this brief, but hopefully entertaining, chapter.  
**

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7:35 am

.............

.

Claire's eyes slowly batted open. The sun was shining directly in her face.

.

"Where the hell am I?" - she whispered as she rolled over.

Pulling herself upright, she looked around the room tentatively. Still groggy from a long night of sleep.

.

She appeared to be in some sort of cheap motel. Though how she got there, she couldn't quite remember.

The first thing she noticed, was the boy about her age splayed out in the bed next to her. He was laying face down, and drooling all over his pillow.

He reminded her of Lyle.

.

She couldn't make out all of the details, _something she was grateful for_;

but she knew _what_ had happened to her the night before,

_and_ she knew that it was Danko who had done it.

.

Her heart skipped a beat. Thinking about him, brought on all sorts of emotions.

His face had haunted her in her dreams last night.

She was glad to be awake.

.

She noticed an empty green chair by the door.

It was oddly placed, like someone had been sleeping or sitting there moments before.

.

That's when she noticed something.

"What the hell is _this_!?" she tugged at the black cashmere sweater she was wearing.

.

An audible grunt coming from the sleeping male figure to her left. Her loud reaction to the sweater, only momentarily disturbing him.

For Claire however, it all came crashing down.

.

"Sylar" - she whispered breathlessly.

'_He.. _…' She even struggled saying it in her mind. _'he…saved me'_

She suppressed the sudden urge to puke.

She wanted to rip the sweater from her skin.

She wanted to burn it.

She wanted to kick and scream,

She wanted to run away…

.

She wanted to, but couldn't.

.

She didn't even know where the hell she was.

.

Claire sat on the bed, seething.

Her mind struggled with the idea that she was now indebted to the man who had once caused so much suffering in her life.

Up to this moment anyway, Sylar was the enemy.

.

Suddenly the door opened.

Her expression was one of obvious shock.

.

Sylar slowly walked in. He was holding a canvas, Wal-Mart, shopping bag in one hand, and a tray of Starbuck's coffee in the other.

It was highly disorienting for Claire to see him in this way.

.

Sylar wasn't expecting her to be up this early. But decided to roll with it.

He handed her the bag, and set the tray down on a nearby dresser.

.

"Finally awake, I see." He used his telekinesis to move the green chair back into the corner.

Her eyes caught the quick movement of the chair and startled her.

"......."

"It's clothes." He nodded toward the bag she was currently eyeing suspiciously.

"Nothing special, just something to wear _besides_ my sweater."

"........"

The sound of Luke softly snoring, was the only sound left in the room.

Hatred and discomfort radiated from her like a radioactive force field.

.

'_This is not going to be easy_.'

.

Sylar took a carefully calculated sip from his coffee.

"How do you take your coffee?" he held up a 2nd cup.

.

"........." .

.

"Cream?"

Not getting any answer, he simply started mixing it in anyway.

While he did this, Claire silently started pulling out the clothes he had bought for her:

A pair of grey yoga pants, a white t-shirt, a package of clean underwear, and a cheap pair of white flip-flops.

.

"I didn't know your size, so I grabbed anything I could find labeled: '_small_'. ….want sugar?"

"........" - she shook her head from side to side silently.

.

'_Well, at least it's a response_.' he rewarded himself.

.

"Right ........... no sugar" he re-closed the lid.

He thought it best, _not,_ to mention that he drank his coffee in much the same way.

(Only for her... he had put in slightly more cream.)

.

Cautiously, he approached her, one hand up in mock defense, …and handed her her the coffee.

He was standing so close to her, it almost made her feel uncomfortable, but for whatever reason it didn't.

She took a sip.

.

"Right, well, … I'll just wake _him_ up then, and the two of us will let you get changed."

"How's that sound?" He lowered himself to try and make eye contact with the girl.

She had been avoiding his gaze ever since the moment he re-entered the room.

.

Claire was at a loss for words. Should she scream?

Should she be running away?

Should she be _thanking_ him?!

This whole scenario was a little bit _too_ surreal for her to handle at the moment.

.

Her eyes focused downward as she felt his stare piercing her.

Finally, Sylar gave up. He moved towards Luke's bed grabbing the 3rd coffee on his way.

.

"Hey Luke, … he shook the kid. "it's time to get up."

"Huh… wha?.. Luke slowly stretched and scooted into an upright position.

"It's time to get up." Sylar shoved the coffee in his hand, and helped him out of bed.

"Wait , what?… " Luke finally noticed that there was a girl in the room.

"Claire needs to get to get _dressed_. _We're_ gonna step outside for a minute."

"....And we're leaving _because_?" His hormones getting the best of him as he noticed how cute the girl was for a second time.

Sylar slapped the kid upside the head.

"Move it smart-ass" he pushed the kid out the door.

"You've got 10 minutes Claire, and then it's no hold's barred." He leisurely sipped on his coffee and closed the door behind him.

.

Claire was speechless. Did Sylar just make her a morning coffee?

.

She quickly set the cup down, and began dressing.

Pulling the large sweater off first, desperate to remove any traces of Sylar from her skin.

.

However, as she stood in nothing but her pink underwear from the night before, her cheeks went cold.

There was a large mirror hanging over the dresser, and seeing herself naked like this was more than she could handle at the moment.

.

She suppressed the urge to cry, determined not to show Sylar how weak she was feeling.

Gathering the strength she needed from a place deep inside of her, she pulled herself together.

.

She ripped the old underwear off speedily, and tossed them in the trash can beside the bed.

Grabbing the new package of underwear that Sylar had gotten for her, she pulled out a new pair.

Hopping into the rest of her clothes with as much speed as she could muster.

.

She pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail, her fingers straightening out the ends.

She took one last look in the mirror.

It was almost like a completely different person.

.

She looked like her old self again.

.

::knock::knock::knock::

"times up, hope you're dressed." - and in they strolled.


	6. Getting Started

**Disclaimer: I do not Own HEROES.. I do not own Sylar or Claire. etc.. blah blah..blah.**

**Authors Note: Okay, well.. This week has been Really rough. so.. I apologize for not updating sooner. **

**..........................................................................................................................................................................  
**

**Thanks people! for being awesome and reviewing my chapters. **

**remuslives: I Love!!!! love love love!!! the way you gave me a play by play of what you were thinking, while Reading the story. That was Sooo cool! **

**Bluewhitney: I love reading _YOUR _fics. You're amazing. So i'm super flattered that you actually read mine. xD You always give such nice reviews too. :) thankyou!**

**Elaine451: I'm super glad you are enjoying it. I'm not the world's best writer.. and some people find it difficult to read my style of writing. I don't always stick to certain grammar rules, and that tends to be a deal breaker with most readers. Thank you for your reviews.. I hope you like where this ends up.**

**.......................  
**

**K.. here it goes.  
**

**

* * *

  
**

10:02 am

...................

.

Claire had contemplated running away, several times that morning.

But each time she thought it through, she always reached the same conclusion:

She absolutely couldn't go home, and she had no-where else to go.

.

She was constantly putting her family in danger...

...and she couldn't bare it if something were to happen to Lyle or her Mother.

So, the decision to stay with Sylar and his obnoxious new side-kick was relatively easy.

.

That...

...and the fact that: if she was going to be running away from masses of highly-trained government-agents, her best bet, was to stick _with_ Sylar.

He was, for all intensive purposes, safe. A resourceful, intelligent, and powerful ally to have in a crisis, She was not about to run away from that just yet.

....................

It was now a little passed 10:00am, and Sylar had driven them all to a Denny's, in town, for breakfast.

Luke made a few lewd comments about the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra on the way over...,

but both she and Sylar chose to ignore these remarks, and instead continued driving in silence towards the restaurant.

.

Claire wasn't hungry, but Sylar had ordered her a breakfast anyway. Her fork twisted and played with the food on her plate.

She hadn't spoken a word to Sylar, or the kid, since he rescued her from Danko, and she planned on keeping it that way for as long as possible.

.

Sylar was drumming his fingers lazily on the table while he drank from his orange juice.

His face appeared only_ slightly_ annoyed, as he stared at both _her_ untouched plate, and _Luke's_ revolting table manners.

.

"Could I get some ketchup please?!" - Luke shouted rudely, as a server passed by.

He was shoveling a cheese omelet into his mouth greedily.

A short waitress plopped a bottle of ketchup on the table for them and left.

.

The loud smacking sounds from across the table were the final straw. Claire had never seen someone with such poor table manners in her life.

"Could you_, __**at least!**_, chew with your mouth closed?" - the words spilled from Claire's lips before she could regret them.

.

She had broken her vow of silence.

.

She couldn't help herself; she had to say something.

The kid was driving her nuts. He had absolutely NO table manners.

He was rude, and loud, and she could have sworn she saw the kid adjust himself, like 3 times during their meal.

It was horrid.

.

"You know, I was really starting to think that she was mute." Luke addressed his ever silent partner.

"Maybe I'd have spoken earlier, if I wasn't stuck in a motel room with **_my worst enemy_** and his **_dweeb_ **sidekick." She mumbled under her breath.

She looked like she was about to throw a sausage at Luke's forehead.

.

Sylar couldn't help but smirk, and continued to eat his breakfast in silence.

.

"Whatever _bitch_," Luke chugged his milk and belched loudly.

He kind-of enjoyed grossing her out.

It was his, immature way, of flirting with her.

.

Claire on the other-hand was thoroughly disgusted ...

...and wanted nothing to do with him.

"You're a pig"

.

She looked aimlessly around the restaurant for something, _anything_, to focus on.... besides Luke's sloppy eating habits.

... and she found herself staring at, none other than, Sylar.

.

She took in the sight of his dark features, and his heavy brows.

How they complimented his skin.

He was intimidating, even when he said nothing.

.

She saw flashes of him from the night before.

Like a Raven or a Crow. Elegant. A predator. Fierce. Wild. With Bloodied hands.

.

She noticed the way he used both: knife and fork, to cut into his food.

And, how his napkin had remained miraculously immaculate throughout their entire meal.

.

Then she noticed, how _**he** had noticed. _

She had been staring at him for the past several minutes without abash.

.

Her heart sped up slightly, as his eyes pierced into hers. Full of curiosity.

He still frightened her. She couldn't help it.

.

Quickly her eyes dropped back down to her untouched hash-browns.

.

She forced herself to eat.

.

Her stomach quickly responded to the food, as she realized just how hungry she actually was.

Sylar remained silent, but continued to study Claire as she ate.

.

_'What was that look in her eyes?'_ he pondered.

_'Was that wonder? fear?'  
_

_'......'  
_

_ 'Does she still fear me?' _

_.  
_

Sylar was an expert at deciphering body language.

Especially when it came to reading people's eyes.

.

Luke excused himself to the bathroom.

A long moment of Silence followed his departure.

.

Sylar was still staring at her, his face one of complete concentration.

He looked like a scientist, studying a newly discovered species of insect.

.

"I promise I won't bite Claire...." the words trickled out of his mouth slowly.

.

As he said her name.. a chill ran up her spine.

.

"Really..." he tilted his head slightly. He attempted to sound reassuring.

"...I won't hurt you"

.

It was creepy, how he always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

.

Another shiver.

.

"Actually Claire, ... I need _your_ help."

.

"........" - he gave her a moment.

.

_This_ caught her off guard.

She looked up from her plate, and turned to face him.

.

"What could you possibly want from me?" - her voice cracked slightly.

.

"I need you to change me, Claire."

.

She looked almost as confused as she felt.

As the words were sinking in, she barely had time to grasp them, before Luke had returned.

.


	7. Misfit

**Disclaimer: I do not Own Heroes... **

**Author's notes: It's been forever, I'm so sorry. xD Real Life kept me busy from anything fun and or leisurely. **

**I hope to continue my story, but for now.. i need to get to work.. So I'll keep my A-Notes breif..**

**it's short.. but here it goes..**

**.......................................................................................................................................................................**

Her eyes darted back and forth between Sylar, and the obnoxious kid now sitting across the table from her..

She decided to drop it, forcing herself to continue eating.

An awkward silence had fallen amidst the trio as soon as Luke had sat down.

"..............."

"What? Did I interrupt something?" - Luke gave Sylar a questioning look as he shoveled the last bite of his hash-browns into his mouth.

"…………." - Sylar signaled the waitress for their check.

Something told her that Sylar did _not_ want the kid to be a part of their previous conversation. She would have to ask Sylar what he meant by "change" when they were alone again, something she was _not at all_ excited about.

After last night, the prospect of being alone with _**any**_ man did not sit well with Claire, and Sylar's intimidating presence was certainly no exception.

Just the thought of what he was capable of… terrified her.

…………………

Sylar let the waitress know that they were leaving. A dashing smile was followed by a charming "Thank-you".

Claire could have sworn she saw the elderly woman fanning herself as they left the table.

…………………

The tip he left her was amazing, well over 100%, something Claire would never have done herself.

His manners were impeccable, if nothing else. Where-as Luke was perfectly willing to let the door slam into her on their way out, Sylar came from behind and used his arm to catch it. And if she didn't know any better, in comparison to Luke's blatant disregard for all things civil and decent, he came across as an absolute gentleman.

Still though, she was no fool. She was perfectly aware of Sylar's many flaws, and she was not about to forget the horrible things he had done to her _and_ to her family any time soon. He was, by all means, still a monster.

…………….

Claire felt every-bit out of place amongst the two men.

They both seemed to tower over her as she stood between them.

One, a snot nosed brat, incapable of interacting with people ( at least, without offending them).

The other, a self righteous murderer.

'_What am I doing here?' _Her eyes followed them as they approached the car.

Claire had to remind herself once again, that she was safer here than anywhere else…

Not to mention the fact, that without her… her mother and brother Lyle would be free to lead normal lives.

….They would be safe.

Perhaps after the initial heat wore off, she'd run off on her own.. Live a life of solitude out on the road somewhere.. But for now.. She needed all the help she could get.. There was no way she could face another encounter like the one she suffered last night..

She would have to tough it out, … for now.

................................................................................

A single tear ran down her cheek. She was quick to wipe it away as she entered the front passenger seat of their station wagon. Sylar noticed …but said nothing.

"Now……. before I'm forced to listen to yet another one of your juvenile comments about Claire's breasts." He gave Luke a look that said _'don't you dare deny it'_. One eyebrow quirked.

"We're dropping you off at the hotel." the ignition turned.

"And then _WE_ " he pointed back and forth between Claire and himself…"will be going to Walmart …..or whatever other place in this Podunk town sells ladies underwear.

Claire was mortified.

Luke wanted to argue, but was apparently also embarrassed.

……..

After they dropped off Luke, much to his apparent displeasure..

The two sat alone in the car….


	8. Better left unsaid

**Disclaimer: I do not Own heroes or any of it's characters**

**(I'm just borrowing a couple of 'em)**

**Author's Notes: I want to thank everyone who stuck it out this long between chapters. (I'm truly flattered that anyone is reading this.... really)**

**I've been busy.. and will be again.. but hopefully.. My spare time this next and final school year will be spent writing. (and watching season 4 of heroes) xD  
**

**...  
**

**Darned4alleternity : (hope i spelled that right...xD! too lazy to alt tab...) - anyway. LOL! thanks! haha! I hope this chapter suits your palate :D)**

**BlueWhitney: Thank-you for being so encouraging. :D I haven't had time to read any fan-fiction in a while.. **

**but I'm super looking forward to what you might have cooked up while I was away. You're amazing :)**

**MizC: I hope I didn't spoil_ too_ much for you. I'd feel so evil.. This fic definitely spoils big chunks of season 3... but..  
**

**( I started writing mid-way through the season.) so it sort of spins off in it's own direction.... ****and fortunately none of this stuff actually occurs in the series.. so keep that in mind.**

**Have fun catching up with the series though! and try to grin and bare it through season 2 xD lol.. (not my favorite) ::wink:: ... you'll see. **

**.**

** ps: Next chapter might have some "squeee" worthy moments.. I've got a little bit of it written already.. and i definitely feel a squeee or two coming on.**

**anyway.. hope you like this one.  
**

**...................................................................................................................................................................................  
**

She was alone again.…… with _him_.

"..................."

The air was thick with silence.

Claire felt the hairs on her arms and neck stand on end… she could feel him watching her out of the corner of his eyes.

-heartbeat-

"......................" she swallowed nervously.

-heartbeat-

"............." his seat belt fastened.

-heartbeat-

".................." she could hear the sound of his breath exiting his lungs.

-heartbeat-

"................"

Suddenly the radio was turned on along with the ignition. The shock of the sudden sound only stole her breath for a moment.

.......And then they were off.......

......................................................................

She licked her lips nervously, and tried to focus in on the local surroundings as they drove towards the center of town.

Her heart was beating a million miles per minute. He was so powerful and frightening, and now ….they were alone together.

.

She tried closing her eyes, but found that to be utterly useless.

Every time she'd close them, Danko's snarling face would be inches from her own, screaming obscenities while he was ripping off her clothes.

'_Fuck' _

she didn't want to cry, but it happened anyway.

.............................

As they pulled into the local Wal-Mart parking lot, Sylar handed her a thick wad of cash.

"I'll wait in here".

He reached forward to pull out a book from the glove compartment.

Claire shivered as his arm brushed up against her leg.

"you can buy whatever you want ... " - the shiver was definitely noted.

"I'm in no hurry." he slid back his seat and rolled down his window...Searching for the bent corner that would indicate his last read page.

"..................."

'_don't say thank you… he doesn't deserve a thank you.' _Claire clutched the money tightly in her hands.

'_fuck' __  
_

She exited the car slowly, biting her lip.

"uhm.. ....."

'_fuck ' __  
_

Sylar took a momentary pause from his reading. "uhm.. ? " his eyebrow pulled a classic 'quirk'.

-heartbeat-

"nothing" - she mentally kicked herself and left.

.......................................................

After about an hour, she returned to the car. Her arms toting 2 bags of miscellaneous items. (A bra, several pairs of underwear, various toiletries, some socks, a pair of jeans, another t-shirt, and several fashion magazines).

It was an odd sensation… walking purposefully towards her worst nightmare. (_Without_ him forcefully pulling the strings.)

She could see him reading contentedly, his feet propped up on the dashboard. It was almost as though he were a completely different person. He looked almost normal.

(Minus the fact that he was currently 6ft 2inches of man curled up in a station wagon reading Oscar Wilde.)

..........

As he saw her approaching, he adjusted his feet back down to the floor and reached over the passenger side to open the door for her.

Ever since this morning Sylar had been attempting to be civil and decent so as not to upset the girl.

He needed her to stay. And throwing insults or being snide was logically _not_ the best way to make "_friends_".

The opening of doors and such, came natural to him. He was every bit a gentleman…. (When he wasn't ripping open people's skulls, and stealing their abilities)

But, being sensitive… _now that_ was taking some serious effort on his part.

It was taking a lot of self control not to berate her with questions concerning last night.

He wanted to know what she was thinking, how it all happened.

His curiosity was getting the best of him. But, he held it together… and stuck to silently studying the way she carried herself… her movements… her eyes... the way her lips trembled whenever she thought he wasn't looking.

Something told him that being direct with the girl would only frighten her more.

He needed to remain calm. He needed to be in control.

Claire would need time, something they both shared in excess.

So, as long as she was spending it with him, he'd be satisfied.

................

Sylar watched Claire as she entered the car.

He was, after all, a man, and his eyes couldn't help but admire the curve of her thighs as she climbed into the passenger seat. The Yoga pants were quite snug, they clung perfectly to her bottom half.

He forced himself _not_ to smirk.

.............

His eyes noted the Marie Claire and Vogue magazines sticking out of her plastic shopping bags.

"........"

'_At least it's not 'Elle' _

He flinched at his own bad mental humor and started the car while readjusting his seat.

.......................................

The rest of the day was rather uneventful.

For the most part, Claire was left to herself in the hotel room, reading magazines and snacking on complimentary pretzels nervously.

She took a shower, cut her toenails, and spent a good hour or so rummaging through Luke's backpack (which he conveniently left in the hotel room for her to pry into.)

Anything, to keep her mind busy.

The boys went out to fill the rusty station wagon with gas.

Luke had found the only bookstore in town and spent the afternoon there… while Sylar took day to walk around town and think about what he planned on doing next.

..............

As the afternoon sunk deep into the horizon…. night time started to creep into the sky.

Sylar returned and paid for Luke's books, and then together they grabbed some take-out from the local Mexican restaurant.

............

Claire was alone when the sun first disappeared.

She hated to admit it.. but, she was afraid.

Afraid of falling asleep and waking up in a drug induced haze. Afraid of finding a man in the room without her knowing it. Afraid of waking up anywhere but here.

She turned on the tv, flipping channels between various news stations..

Each and everyone of them were displaying images of Danko's men.

Men in uniforms, who were capturing people with special abilities and tossing them aggressively in the back of their vans.

-click-

'_Perhaps not.'_

...................................

-knock knock knock-

Claire spun towards the door.

"........"

-knock knock knock-

"Who.... Who's there?" her voice was trembling.

"Don't freak out...It's just us" She could clearly hear Luke's loud voice from the other side of the door.

"gonna let us in?"


	9. Mistook for Poison

**Disclaimer: Heroes does not belong to me. Though, I'm pretty sure that's been well established by now.**

**Author's Notes: sorry for the delay... ( i got distracted by LIFE ---the tv show)**

**Thankyou for reading my story. I hope you are enjoying it. I've never written anything this long before.. hopefully, the more I practice the better I'll get. **

**/dreams about writing an epic awesome Reese/Crews fic **

**but that'll be later.. ((xD)) sorry .. got mentally sidetracked again. **

**/kicks self.. /cough.. **

**Onward!.... towards more Sylaire.  
**

**....................................................................................................................................................................  
**

Claire timidly pulled herself up to the edge of the bed, readying herself for their entrance.

She could hear the two men audibly groan from the outside, as Luke cursed himself for forgetting the 2nd set of keys.

She watched as the door unlocked itself.

A heavy sigh was followed by the turn of the handle.

Luke sauntered in, ............. tossing her a warm bag of Mexican take-out.

She flinched at the sudden gesture, catching the bag with shaky hands.

"Dig-in cheerleader".

.

Sylar rolled his eyes and turned to lock the door behind them.

.

Claire had spent the better half of the day alone in a dingy motel room.

The magazines had been read and re-read, The Tv-stations flipped through and ignored...

She had tried to keep her mind busy… by sorting, cleaning, reading… anything really… to keep her mind from wondering.

But whenever she stopped....stopped brushing,flossing,clipping, or absorbing.... Her thoughts always seemed to drift back to the night before..

The sudden invasion of the room by two male figures, neither of which she knew all that well,............ was ... to say the least...unnerving.

.

Luke plopped his take-out down onto the other bed, grabbed his backpack, and headed straight for the bathroom.

"Taking a shower."

The door slammed and locked almost instantly.

"................" A set of dark eyes glowered at the bathroom door "................"

_'not worth it'_

Sylar's eyes shifted from the bathroom door, back down to Claire's nervous face.

Her eyes trying to avoid his.

He found himself staring at her awkwardly.

_'hmm'_

he directed his attention elsewhere.

.

Claire's mind raced with all sorts of _dark_ scenarios.

She was noticeably on edge.

Determined never to be caught off-guard again.

.

He placed his food on the floor next to the green chair as the shower turned on.

He cracked his neck several times and started peeling off his sweater casually, dropping it onto the corner of Claire's bed, and then folding it carefully.

Claire stared in horror as he began to loosen his belt.

--a flash of Danko from the night before--

She practically fell out of bed, as she backed away from him.

Sylar blatantly ignored this.

.

Her eyes followed his hands as they guided his belt loose from his jeans.

It was like an instant replay from the night before..

Danko's cold white fingers pulling the leather through each hoop......

"What are you doing?" Her lips trembled as she watched the belt fall to the floor.

-the sound of leather hitting the ground-

Sylar chose not to answer, and continued undressing, pulling off his shirt.

Claire looked anxiously at the bathroom door and then back to Sylar's half dressed form.

Panic set in….her eyes widened.., sweat formed on her brow…

'_not again,…………__**not**__ again…'_

"What are you doing?!" she nearly shrieked, as her eyes shifted away from his naked torso and up to his face.

"Stop!" She made It a point to sound more forceful.

Sylar glared at her for being so obnoxious, and then continued to undress.. taking off his shoes..

.

Teeth Clenched, she grabbed the first thing she saw.

She wasn't about to go through with this again.

"I said Stop!!"

The remote control came flying towards Sylar's head as Claire bolted for the door.

.

Sylar let the remote control bounce off his face without flinching.

He had absolutely no patience for this sort of thing.

It had already been an excruciatingly unsettling day, and this …_this_ was extremely annoying.

.

He froze Claire inches from the exit.

He could feel his anger boiling.

Forcing her mouth shut so that she wouldn't scream, he slammed her body back onto the bed.

Rage threatening to take over as he leaned over her trembling body.

Hovering an inch from her face he growled "Make Me!"

Almost Instantly, he regretted it.

A long moment had passed.

She could feel his breath, heavy on her skin.

He stared at her frightened expression.

Her eyes boldly bore into his, but he could tell that she was terrified.

'_what' was he waiting for'. _She had already given up, expecting the worst.

"......................"

Slowly, he eased himself off of her, the space between their bodies increasing.

A long sigh escaped his lips..

Reaching into a black duffel bag by the door, he pulled out what appeared to be a gray t-shirt.

She watched silently from the bed as he took several deep calming breaths and pulled the new t-shirt over his head.

Sylar gave her a look that read _"**don't** try that again." _

".........."

She gasped as his hold on her relinquished.

He pulled off his socks and tucked them into the bag silently.

He buried his face deep within his hands as he sat back down into the green chair.

"look Claire..…" He noticed her flinch.

She hated when he said her name.

A brief moment passed again.

"I'm sorry" - his voice was noticeably calmer.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper..." his eyes fell on the broken remote splattered on the ground.

"I don't react well to things randomly being thrown at my head"

"........................."

"I thought you were….." she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

They both heard the shower turn off.

"I wasn't..." He picked up the loose batteries from the floor and reassembled the remote.

"......... believe it or not, I prefer the willing" - he tossed the controller back on her bed.

"Now.......... With permission..." He made a grand and exaggerated gesture "........I'd like to take off these jeans."

Claire felt both anger and embarrassment, but nodded in agreement. She would have to get used to the idea that Sylar wasn't the enemy.

She had to learn how to trust again.

Before she could even turn around, he was already pulling off his jeans, revealing a pair of Black boxer briefs.

Claire attempted to look unfazed,

He finished neatly folding his clothes, putting them away, and then ...sat awkwardly in the chair next to her bed.

He grabbed his take-out food and began munching on a Giant burrito.

Luke stumbled out of the bathroom in an old black T-shirt and a pair of brown boxers.

He grabbed his dinner and the remote...and began feasting greedily while flipping through various channels.

Undoubtedly searching for hot chicks to make lewd comments about.

'These were her new companions. If she could learn to trust them...'

"..................."

She reached in her bag for a burrito of her own.

"....................."

'If she could learn how to trust them...........then she knew she could make it through this.'

Her eyes shot over towards Sylar..

His legs propped up on the corner of her bed.

His focus solely directed towards the burrito in his hand

Claire looked down into her own hands..

Her burrito staring her in the face.

_"_Uhm_"  
_

"......." both males stared at the blond currently perched upon her bed waiting to say something.

Sylar's eyebrow quirked.

her lower lip trembled in response to his sudden attention.

".............uhm..I just.."

_'say it'_

"..............."

Claire took a deep breath. Her eyes pointed downward, towards her burrito

"I just... wanted to say ........Thanks."

She took a **huge** bite of her burrito. Quickly pretending to be interested in whatever was on the TV.

Apparently_ 'Baywatch'_ was just _that_ interesting.

Both men noticed this but said nothing.

Sylar fought back a smile.

Claire actually Thanked him..

and despite what that idiot Luke would think... this was not about a burrito...this was not about the new clothes or place to sleep...

Claire was thanking him for letting her stay with them.

'_hmm.'_

a small smile hid behind his last chomp.

Perhaps this really could work.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

AN: Can I just say?, Yummy visions of Sylar undressing…. have been haunting me all day. Mmmmmm Sylar hotness…..


End file.
